Papa Paladin - Chapter 685: Battle of Gonzas (5)

After 2000 years has passed, the ruthless demon lord has just been reincarnated! But his aptitude at an academy for nurturing candidates for demon lords is, “Inept”!?

Having the capability to destroy humans, elementals, and gods, after a long period of countless wars and strife, Arnos the demon lord became sick and tired of all that and longed for a peaceful world, so he decided to reincarnate to the future.

However, what awaited him after his reincarnation is a world too used to peace that his descendants became too weak due to a huge weakening in magical powers.

Arnos enrolled in the Maou Academy established to find any students that might be the demon lord’s reincarnation, but his powers are too extraordinary that those in the academy couldn’t properly judge his powers, so he’s regarded as an “Inept student”. Being underestimated and avoided by most people there, he recruited a girl friendly to him, Misha, as his subordinate and comrade, and strives to climb to the top of the demon race hierarchy to one day reclaim his former title and status.

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

For the large sum of money to help her husband, she chose to be a surrogate mother covertly. Her sweetheart was out of trouble, but she became the woman of loose morals in his eyes. Misunderstanding, disappointment and sadness forced her to divorce the man she loved from the childhood.

When she was determined to start new life, another man burst into her life. “You are my baby’s mommy and you are my wife!” A big surprise hit her that her baby’s Daddy, the man she surrogated for, fell in love with her at his first sight.

His deep love convinced her to believe the affection of love again. Unexpectedly, her ex-husband returned to beg her recombination. One was her childhood sweetheart, and the other was the man who loved her and gave her hope for a new life……Facing the two men, what is her choice?
 

- Description from Novelupdates

Mu Xiaoya lived for twenty-six years before she knew that she had a sudden genetic disease. There was no medicine for it, and there was only death waiting for her.

Before she died, many people came to see her, but she was most impressed by Bai Chuan.

Bai Chuan was her neighbor, an autistic child with scholar’s syndrome. At that time, his face full of scars was desperate: “I – I studied all your medical records, but I have no way to save you.”

Mu Xiaoya was stunned: “You are a doctor?”

Bai Chuan: “I am not… …”

Mu Xiaoya’s disease was a genetic disease. Unless the gene was changed, there was no possibility of cure. However, Bai Chuan was the only person who tried to cure her after she fell ill.

Mu Xiaoya: “Why are you going to cure me?”

Bai Chuan: “I want to marry you.”

Mu Xiaoya laughed: “If you marry me, you will soon become a widower.”

Bai Chuan insisted: “I – I want to marry you.”

Bai Chuan, who has cognitive impairments, can’t express his meaning very well, and can only repeat it over and over again.

Later, Mu Xiaoya still died. When she woke up, she returned to the summer of her college graduation.

Bai Chuan: “I… I want to marry you.”

Mu Xiaoya: “Good.”

The starlight in the eyes of Bai Chuan was the most beautiful scenery that Mu Xiaoya had ever seen in her life.

- Description from Novelupdates